Dev
ducked back into her quarters, half out of breath as she let the door
close and took a moment to sit down and think about what she needed
to do next.

She’d
just taken the carrier through it’s flight certification, a first
for her, and she was very pleased when the check out pilot had signed
her off after a single round of tests.

Very
good. Even though the pilot had been grumpy, and seemed not to like
her. He’d muttered something about barbie dolls, which she had no
idea of the meaning of, and finally just keyed in his okay and told
her to land.

She
had, and then gotten Jess’s call to get herself ready, and now here
she was. The problem was, she really wasn’t entirely sure what
she was supposed to be doing besides getting into her pilot’s
jumpsuit and collect her helmet.

A
shower seemed appropriate, though, so she hauled herself to her feet
and slipped into the wet room, shucking out of her work coverall and
into the warm stream of water, it’s pulsing pressure feeling very
good against her skin as she washed the dust and grime off it.

The
soap smelled nice and felt even better, and she gladly scrubbed her
hair to rid it of both silcon and sweat. She let the hot water pound
against her for a minute, then she shut it off and shook herself hard
sending droplets against the wall with tiny little spitting sounds.
“Ahh.”

Then
she picked up a folded towel and started drying herself off, wrapping
the towel around her and tucking the end in as Jess had taught her
before she ran her comb through her hair.

“Hey!”
Jess’s voice echoed as the inner door opened. “Dev?”

“In
here.” Dev called out. “I was just taking a shower.” She was
glad she’d finally gotten the word for it in her mental storage,
and could now call it by it’s proper name. She glanced to her left
as Jess poked her head in and gave her companion a smile. “Hello.”

Jess
was in the simple undergarment she wore under her heavy jumpsuit. It
was a mild gray in color and hugged her body. “We’ll have to
pack a kit.” She said. “A lot more stuff than the last time.”

“I
thought that was possibly so.” Dev turned. “I just wanted to get
clean first.”

“So
I see.” Jess grinned. “Carrier all done?”

“Yes.”
Dev nodded positively. “All ready to go.” She followed Jess out
into the larger part of her space. “Do you know a person named
Davis?”

“Ahhugh.”
Jess stopped and turned, regarding her wryly. “Johnson Davis?
Crotchety old bastard who doesn’t have a good word to say for
anyone and looks like he sleeps in his clothes?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”
Jess indicated the pack that had come in box Bain had sent. “That’s
what you use for the kit.”

“He
was the one who did the flight check on the carrier with me. He
seemed to be in some kind of discomfort.” Dev reported. “So I
was wondering.”

“He’s
an asshole.” Jess wandered over to cabinet and studied the corner
of it.

“Um.
Okay.” Dev got into a pair of underwraps, then a twin of the suit
Jess was wearing that felt nice and soft against her skin. “Does he
feel uncomfortable about my being a bio alt?”

“No.
He just hates women. He probably isn’t even aware you’re a bio
alt.” Jess told her. “He’s the one thing Sandy and I agree on.”

“Oh.”
Dev eyed her. “I see.”

“So
here.” Jess started pointing. “You’ll need the jacket, a
couple of extra undersuits, and one of those colored jumps like that
blue one. We don’t wear blacks in places like Cape Quebec.”

“Okay.”
Dev neatly folded the items and fit them into the pack. “Why not?”

“Hm.”
Jess held a hand up. “Okay, let’s sit down a minute and talk
about being outside.” She motioned towards the chairs. Dev
detoured over to her drink dispenser and got out two containers, then
came over and handed Jess one before they both sat down.

“Thanks.”
Jess studied the container, before she opened it and took a sip. “So
you decided you like this stuff?” She held up the kack.

“Aha.”
Jess cleared her throat a little. “Okay, so - the deal is this.
When we’re here, we’re just who we are. You got that right?”

After
a brief hesitation, Dev nodded. “I think so.”

“When
we’re out there, most of the time we don’t want to be who we
really are.” Jess said. “It’s not always safe.”

Dev’s
eyes lit up a little. “Oh. You mean we’ll be undercover.” She
pronounced the word carefully. “Pretending to be someone else,
correct?”

Jess
looked surprised. “Right.” She said. “Did they give you
programming about that?”

“Yes.”
Dev said. “That came in the job programming. Not specific things,
but the need to do that.” She explained. “And how to hide and all
that. I know the programmers and Doctor Dan were concerned because we
do have this.” She touched her neck. “And that’s hard to hide.”

“Turtlenecks
for you.” Jess smiled, then muffled a chuckle at the look of mild
bewilderment on her partner’s face. Partner. Jess sighed
internally. Didn’t I say I wasn’t going to do that again? So why
did I? “It’s a shirt that has a high collar.” She explained.
“You just have to remember not to take your clothes off outside.”

Jess
shot her a quick look, and swore she saw a twinkle in those green
eyes. “Riiiiight.” She drawled. “I’ll have to remember
that.” She waited, but the bio alt’s expression remained mild and
inquisitive. “Anyway, we usually put together a cover before we
leave, and we get credentials issued to us that match that. Hang on.”
She got up and went into her quarters.

“Hang
on to what?” Dev wondered to herself. “Hang on to the chair?”
She peered around. “To the cup?” She sat back as Jess returned,
carrying a folder in her hands. “Hang on to you?”

Jess
paused in mid step. “What?”

“Sorry.”
Dev took a sip from her container. “I was just thinking about
something.”

Jess
sat down, leaning on one arm of the chair. “Okay.” She handed
Dev a set of cards, and a holder. “This is yours.”

Dev
accepted them, putting down her container and studying the materials.
She blinked, when she realized the first set of cards was a citizens
credentials, with her picture on it and an unfamiliar name. “This
is very interesting.”

“Yeah,
not bad.” Jess was sorting through hers. “So, when we go into
Quebec let me do the talking.” She said. “The names they issued
us are close enough to our own that it would be hard to slip up, but
think about the name they gave you so you respond to it if anyone
asks you about the card.”

“When
we get to the North Station, you just be yourself.” Jess said. “But
in the outlands - don’t let on to anyone that you’re not a...
what did you call us?”

“Natural
born.” Dev said. “But they won’t call it that will they? So
I’ll just be a regular person.”

Jess
smiled a little. “Yes.” She paused. “Why natural born?”

“Well,
because you are.” Dev said. “Born naturally.”

Jess
considered that. “And you aren’t?”

“No.
They make us up in test tubes.” Dev responded, with a brief grin.
“The scientists, like Doctor Dan, select the genes and mix us up
and then give us a little zap to get the division started. Then they
put us in a shell, and once we outgrow that, into an incubator. Then
they hatch us.”

Jess
stared at her, blinking. “Are you messing with me?” She asked,
after a brief silence.

“Messing.”
Her pilot mused. “Is that like... are you asking me if I’m making
a joke?” She watched Jess nod hesitantly. “No,, that’s really
how they do it. So .. that’s why we call you natural born.”

‘All
righty then.” Jess got up. “Lets get packed and get going. We’ve
got a long trip ahead of us.” She toasted Dev with her drink.
“Stick some of these and some crackers in your kit if you want -
always good to have some extra with us.”

“Okay.”
Dev got up and retrieved her pack, making sure everything was neatly
tucked inside it, and taking Jess’s suggestion she added a few
bottles of kack and several packets of the seaweed crackers. She
also tucked a spare pare of underwraps inside, and a set of her
sleeping clothes since she remembered Jess saying they would be gone
for days.

Then,
after a pause, she put her book inside the pack too. She sealed
everything up, and went to the cabinet to take down her flight suit
and get into it. It made her a little excited, feeling the heavier
fabric close around her as she arranged the clips and feeds she would
hook into the carrier.

She
put her boots on, straightening up just as Jess poked her head in the
door, her body encased in it’s familiar black semi armor. “Ready?”
She asked the agent.

“Ready.”
Jess said. “Grab your pack and let’s go to the hangar.”

Dev
emptied her container, then she went back and picked up her pack,
slinging it onto her back and adjust the straps. She ran her fingers
through her hair, now mostly dry, and went into Jess’s quarters to
find her seating her sidearm into it’s holster, her hair pulled
back into a tail.

Jess
shouldered her own pack and they exited their quarters, emerging into
the random traffic of the after lunchtime shift change. They
attracted some looks, Dev realized, people who caught their flight
suits and possibly wondered were they were going.

People
did, sometimes. She remembered the whispered speculation in the
creche when sets were being sent on assignment, and her last talk
like that with Gigi when she wondered if she would ever go.

Now,
Dev had to laugh to herself, or maybe at herself for that. She
certainly had gotten an assignment hadn’t she? They didn’t stop
to talk to anyone, and in a few minutes they were at the hangar,
moving across the vast open space towards the landing pad their
carrier was sitting on.

Right
where she left it. Dev noted. There were six or so bio alts
scrambling around the outside, and the hatch was open, last minute
details being taken care of as their launch time neared. The carrier
was surrounded by faint wisps of offgassing and Dev could feel a
distinct thrill as she took in the vehicles powerful outline.

“Looks
good.” Jess said. “Nice work.”

Dev
smiled. “I just did a small part.” She demurred. “There were
many people working on it.”

They
cleared around the last work pedestal and approached the pad. “Well.”
Jess paused, studying the side. “The mech team thought you did a
good enough job to put your name on it. Good sign.” She pointed at
the side of the carrier, where Dev’s name had been stenciled right
under hers.

“Oh!”
Dev’s eyes widened. She slowed long enough to study the letters as
they walked up the ramp, dodging an exiting bio alt who was carrying
a calibration rig. “I didn’t expect that.”

“I
figured once word got around they might.” Jess went into the
carrier without explaining that cryptic remark, but Dev lingered a
moment to let her eyes trace over the blocky, capital letter DEV
inked on the metal side. Not her designation, just the short name
and she found herself grinning just to see it.

“Looks
good huh?” Clint ducked under the engine pod, wiping his hands on a
rag. “They just finished. Hope you leave it in one piece long
enough for the paint to dry.”

Dev
made a face. “I’ll try.” She said. “I know we caused a lot of
hard work.”

“You
did some yourself.” Clint said. “Good luck, Dev. Bring her back
in one piece and you all in it.”

“Thank
you.” Dev gave him a smile. “I”ll do my best.” She patted
the side of the ship and ducked inside, only just avoiding crashing
headlong into Jess. “Oh!”

“Sorry.”
Jess backed up. “C’mon in. I like the new chair.” She let Dev
enter then she went over and sealed the hatch. “Once you get
everything squared away, lets get clearance and get out of the
bathtub.”

Dev
strapped her pack down next to her station and sat down in the pilots
chair, strenuously resisting asking Jess what a bathtub was. She
checked her initial settings, then she started up the comp and began
her preflight checks.

Of
course, she’d done all that before the certification lift, but her
programming told her in no uncertain terms that they had to be done
every single time and she could feel the stress on that which
indicated to her that this was an important thing.

She
listened to Jess rattling around behind her, getting her own pack
lashed down, arranging her hold down straps, and checking the weapons
and drop kit.

Dev
settled the comm set on her head and slipped the earpiece in, hearing
the low murmur of ops traffic on the link as she brought the nav comp
online. “BR27006, comm check.”

“Stand
by 27006.” Ops came back quickly.

“Standing
by.” Dev lit up the engine systems board and started running the
checks on the new systems, pleased with the response to her test
signals.

“27006,
Central ops, register comm check, clear channel.”

Dev
tuned in the channel a little, her sensitive ears hearing the digital
shaping as it evened out. “Central ops, BR27006 reads clear
channel, good comm check.” She locked the signal in and released a
test squirt, then studied the engine status and the readouts from the
navigation comp. “Systems coming online.” She warned Jess.

“I
hear em.” Jess grunted. “Give me power please.”

Dev
opened the power channel to the weapons systems, her eyes flicking to
her boards as the carrier drew current from their umbilical to soak
the batteries. She checked the multiple fuel cells, and nodded at
the full charge, reaching over to pretune the internal generator that
would take over once they were disconnected from the base.

“They
asking for a route?” Jess called from the back.

Dev
regarded the comp. “No, they aren’t. Just standing by.” She
said. “Everything ‘s online. Should I ask for flight clearance?”

“Hang
on.” Jess settled into her bucket seat, locking the restraint
straps around her and feeling the gently snug against her body to
hold her down. They had a fast release plate positioned over her
chest, and a single slap could get her out of them because you just
never knew what was going to happen even in flight.

She
tested the new chair, feeling it solid and easily swiveled, and she
pulled down her targetting comps, pleased with the feel of the new
surface under her. The chair was decently padded, and she reached
behind her back, pushing the pads experimentally. “Hey.”

“Not
exactly.” Dev said. “I asked them to add a little bit of support
for your back.” She admitted. “I thought you would like that.”

Jess
studied her, caught between embarrassment and pleasure. “Do you
have any idea how much crap I’m going to have to take for that from
the rest of the agents?”

“No,
I don’t.” Dev said. “I didn’t consider them when I asked.”
She frowned. “Why would they care what your chair was like?”

“Hm.”
Did she care if they cared? Jess wriggled a little and felt the
comfort of the extra support on either side of her spine, and at the
base. It felt good, and she decided she really didn’t care if they
cared. “I dunno.” She said. “It’s great, thanks Dev.”

Dev
smiled, and turned back around. “All systems are online and ready.”
She fastened her own restraints, taking a peek at Jess in the small
strip of mirror above her console. She could see the little grin on
her face as she regarded the chair and she grinned herself, glad
she’d asked for that small comfort.

The
bio alt doing the chair, one of the craftsman BeeAre set had listened
seriously to her, and done what she’d asked without question,
showing her a personal level of respect that was both surprising and
gratifying. It was a small thing, but she was now very glad she’d
done it.

“Okay,
tell them to crack open the top.” Jess said, as she leaned back in
her surprisingly comfortable seat. “Let’s get this party
started.”

“BR27006
to pad support, please undock umbilicals.” Dev spoke into her mic,
catching sight of two bio alts ducking under the engine pod in
response. She poised her fingers over the power grid, and as they
unlocked the port and removed it, she activated the internal power
feed and brought them online. “Internal systems green, please clear
for lift.”

Overhead,
she heard the big doors start to open and a moment later, she heard
the clearance come back into her ear. “BR27006 acknowledge.
Lifting.” Dev spooled up the engines and engaged the bottom jets,
taking them up towards the opening roof with steady confidence.

It
was a rare moment of no rain. Dev took the carrier up into the clear
air, and did a circle, scanning the horizon before she settled with
the carrier’s nose pointed to the north. She keyed in the
coordinates Jess had given her for Quebec City, and checked her
consoles one more time. “Ready?”

Dev
smiled, and engaged the main engines, heading them off into this new
adventure.

**

Cape
Quebec wasn’t that far, Dev discovered. She spotted the cliff face
full of lights ahead of them as her nav station beeped, and she
adjusted her speed lower. “That’s it?”

“That’s
it.” Jess agreed, putting her hand on the back of Dev’s chair and
peering through the sectioned windows. “Okay we can’t valet park
this bus, so you’re going to have to land on the plateau there, see
the opening?”

“Yes.”
Dev said. “Go down in there?”

“Yeah.”
Jess returned to her seat and locked her restraints. “There’s an
old stairway cut into the rock. It’s a hike, but the carrier’ll
be hidden and they won’t see what direction we came from.”

It
all sounded quite mysterious. Dev angled the carrier towards the
cliff wall, and cut the mains, using the landing jets to gently lower
the carrier past the crevice. It was all shadows and gray stone,
with water drizzling off the edges and making a constant rattle and
thunder past them as she found a bit of higher stone and set the
vehicle down onto it. “Okay?”

“Great.”
Jess stood up and hit a set of switches. “We’ll blend in here.”
She started getting out of her armored suit. “Now we need to
change into civs.”

Dev
finished shutting down the engines and as she did, and their
distinctive whine faded, she could hear the rain falling on the
carrier’s roof, and the drum of the water on the ground outside.

Outside.
Aside from her brief movement from the shuttle to the citadel and her
visits to the ledge, this would be her first big exposure to outside,
and Dev found herself a little unsettled over it. Dr. Dan had talked
to her about it - about being outside under that vast, gray sky but
talking about it and doing it were two very different things.

"You
okay?" Jess was apparently watching her.

"Yes."
Dev opened her pack and removed the blue jumpsuit, unsnapping the
catches on her flight suit. "I was just wondering what it was
like to be on the ground outside."

Jess
paused as she fastened the neck on her civs, They were rust and
gold, flashier than the ones Dev was donning. "Oh that's right.
You came from outer space. I forgot."

Dev
smiled as she finished fastening her suit. She picked up the jacket
Bain had sent her and held it, not entirely sure what should happen
next. Jess seemed to be sorting through some things so she put the
jacket back down and went to the dispenser and took out a small
bottle of water.

"Run
an external scan, willya?" Jess asked. "Doesn't pay to take
a chance."

Glad
of something to do, Dev went back to her station and sat down. She
opened the water and took a sip, then put the bottle in it's gimbaled
holder ad activated the scan. She set the routine running, observing
the results and glancing outside the carrier window to match the
terrain with the scan.

It
was rocky outside, and dark with clouds and rain. The carrier was
settled between a half dozen large boulders and she had slid it just
under a slight ledge which protected it somewhat. The area around
them was clear of any life at all - only rocks and rubble were around
them with some small patches of moss being the only hint of color.

"Clear?"

"Yes."
Dev responded. "Nothing for 500 meters at least."

"Good."
Jess finished tucking various things in her pockets. She walked over
and picked up her own jacket. "Okay. Now we climb up the steps
to a path I know, and that will take us to one of the outer entrances
of the city. You need to stay close with me, and for now, don't talk
unless you have to. We're just here to shop, we're a couple of bored
techs on a day holiday from the Rocky Mountain generating center. Got
it?"

"Got
it." Dev rummaged in her memory for details about the generating
center which she'd had some basic programming on. Science and
research were done there, she knew, along with it's primary
responsibility of creating and storing hydro power in massive sealed
batteries.

Was
it a target, she wondered. Like the facility they themselves were
trying to breach?

"C'mon.".
Jess shrugged into her jacket and fastened a colorful patch on the
outside. She waited for Dev to mimic her then attached a similar one
on her sleeve. "There. Now you work for Energine.". She
patted Dev on the shoulder and went to the door. "I'm keying
this so only the two of us can get back in. Anyone else tries it"ll
blow a hole the size of the docking cavern."

"I
see." Dev said. "This stop here - it's to obtain supplies?"

Jess
hit the door release and the hatch thumped open, admitting a gust of
cold, wet air. "Yeah. Some outside gear I need for the ice
fields and to get current gossip. The intel we get in the citadel
sometimes isn't really current - not to mention it' could be planted.
I like to listen to whats going on before I do an insertion."
Another mistake on her last mission. She'd let Josh talk her into
skipping the recon.

She
pulled her jacket hood up and fastened the neck cover then eased down
the unfolded steel steps and got her boots on the wet rock before she
motioned Dev forward. Though her head was well covered by the fabric
the half frozen rain pelted her face and she blinked a little at the
harshness of it. “Ugh.”

Dev
spent a moment absorbing the experience. She could feel the half
rain, half ice drops pelting the surface of the fabric encasing her,
and she made a mental note to go back and thank Alexander Bain for
providing the jacket to her. She lifted a hand and pulled the glove
off it, feeling the sting of the rain and the chill before she put it
back on. “That's interesting.”

Jess
eyed her. “Not interesting enough to stay out in it. Let's go.”
She circled the carrier and climbed up a small rise towards the cliff
walls, pausing to turn and look back at the vehicle. “Nice.”
She complimented Dev. “That new mottled skin really works.”

Now
that the hatch was closed, you would be hard pressed to identify the
carrier against its landscape. The outer shell had taken on the tones
of the surrounding rock, blending the metal until it was almost
invisible.

“Yes.”
Dev agreed. “Clint was really happy with how it turned out. It's a
new thing. He said it would help us hide against the clouds, too.”

“If
we want to hide.” Jess turned and started away from the small ledge
they'd parked on. “Quebec's a mix these days. Used to just be a
supply depot, since theyve got a decent harbor, but they finally dug
out the cliff and fixed the roofs of all those old buildings and
people drifted in from the outlands.”

“I
see.” Dev was keeping up with her companions long strides with a
bit of difficulty. The uneven ground was new to her, and she was
having some trouble keeping her balance on it. “What do they do
there?” She asked, more to keep Jess talking since she'd studied
the records in comp on the place when Jess had told her they were
going there.

Shellfish.
Shell, and fish? “Do they have anything to do with that gift from
Clint?” Dev hazarded.

“No.”
Jess chuckled. “Well, actually.. “ She pondered. “Sort of I
guess. They do get tiny crabs out of some of those shells and use em
in stews. But the ones he sent, those didn't have any crabs in em.
They just wash up near the bsae of our cliff.”

“I
see.” Dev had found her balance now, and she was beginning to enjoy
the tramp across the rocks. Jess was leading the way across a barren
stretch of bare granite towards a wall, and already she could see
even through the rain a narrow uneven set of steps cut into the face
of it. It angled up the rock wall to an outcropping above and she
couldn't see past that.

It
seemed very desolate where they were. She couldn't hear anything
besides the far off sound of the surf and the rumble of thunder over
their heads and her face was starting to feel very cold where the
rain was hitting it.

She
blinked a little, as she followed Jess up a slope and across a long
stretch of loose, crunchy sounding small rocks that led up to the
base of the wall. There were big rocks all around them, and she
peered upward as a scattering of tiny stones rattled off the cliff
and fell around them. “Did those rocks come from up there?”

“Yeah.”
Jess wound her way through them. “That's why we park here. People
with sense stay far the hell away.” She pointed at a long rusted
sign tacked tot he stone, a pictograph of a crudely drawn slope and
what were supposed to be boulders. “It's a rock fall zone.”

“I
see.” Dev regarded the wall. “So one of those could fall down
right now?”

“Sure.”

“I
see.”

Jess
half turned and grinned at her. “Closer to the cliff you are,
safer it is. Dont' worry.”

“I'
am not worried.” Dev kept at her heels, as they got to the base of
the cliff and started up the stairs. They had been very crudely cut
into the rock, and were in some places more suggestions than
footholds. “If something unfortunate happens, at least I will have
had lots of new experiences.”

The
steps reminded her of the climbing exercises they'd done in the
creche and she placed her boots with confidence, glad of her gloves
as she gripped the rock edge they were climbing up. The coverings
were dark gray and made of very tough fabric, thin enough for her to
use her fingers well, but thick enough to keep her hands nice and
warm.

It
was interesting and exciting being here. She could feel all sorts of
new sensations – the strain on her legs of climbing, the pelting
rain, the roughness of the stone under her gloved fingertips. It was
all new, and she focused on Jess's tall form, careful to step where
she did once she'd moved on.

The
rock smelled, she realized. It had a flat, dense scent a little like
the walls in the citadel, but different. She could also smell the
rain and she experimentally stuck her tongue out, catching some of
the icy droplets and tasting them.

Interesting.
She saw Jess slow up and halt ahead of her, and she paused, watching
her companion closely. Jess moved again after a moment, but more
slowly and she took one hand off the rock and let it rest against the
pocket Dev knew she had her weapon in.

She
decided to remain quiet, figuring Jess didn't need any distractions
if there was something dangerous occurring. They were almost up near
the little ledge, and she watched Jess pause again, one hand resting
on the rocks and her head cocked to one side.

After
a moment, the agent untied her hood and pushed it down, exposing her
head to the rain but also exposing her ears which were, intrestingly
to Dev, twitching visibly.

Then,
after a moment of silence, Jess pulled her hood back up and continued
on, climbing up over the edge of the crevice and then turning,
offering Dev her hand.

Dev
wasn't sure what that was about, but she reached up and clasped it, a
bit surprised to find herself pulled up onto the ledge to stand next
to her partner. “Thank you.”

“All
quiet.” Jess released her then moved across the ledge to an uneven
square hold in the side of the mountainside. She slipped inside,
then activated a hand light and paused, before she continued forward.
“Let's get outta the damn rain at least.”

Dev
hadn't entirely minded the experience, but she found the cold a lot
less inside the tunnel they were now in, and she pushed her hood back
and wiped the rain off her face as she followed Jess in. “Very
interesting.” She regarded the tunnel which was as crudely cut as
the steps outside, taking off a glove and running her fingertips over
the surface.

She
could feel chisel marks on the stone. “Did you cut this wall?”

“Me?”
Jess chuckled low and deep in her throat. “Hell no. They sent a
team out here when Quebec started becoming a population center. Ten
guys with plasma cutters. You see all that rubble at the base? That
was from them. “

“I
see.” Dev activated her own hand light, and examined the wall. It
had interesting sparkles in it, not that different from the walls in
the citadel. The floor was as uneven as the walls, and she focused
the light there, avoiding the unexpected angular cracks and bumps as
they walked along.

It
was out of the wind here too, and warmer because of it. Dev ran her
hand through her hair and noticed Jess was having to duck a little
as she walked. “Is it a long way in here?”

“No.”
Jess said. “Couple more minutes.”

And
in a couple more minutes, in fact, they were moving from the narrow
tunnel and squeezing through a crack in the rock so narrow Jess had
to take off her coat to fit through, and Dev almost did. Then they
were in a more regular hallway, with smooth walls, evenly spaced low
lights and a faint look of dusty disuse.

“Emergency
tunnel.” Jess shrugged back into her jacket and fastened it.
“Place for them to run to.” She closed her hand light and stuck
it in her pocket as she lead the way up a gently sloping floor.
“Minute or so, and we'll be in the lower levels. “

“Okay.”
Dev caught up and walked along at her side.

“Whatever
you see, just keep your mouth shut.” Jess said. “It could be
weird for you. There'll be other bio alts here, but it's not like in
the citadel.”

Now,
what did that mean? “Okay.” Dev agreed anyway. She saw Jess
raise a hand a little, and she slowed, keeping behind her partner as
the hallway they were in ended in a big, square opening and a murmur
of sound reached her. They crossed another wide hallway that led off
into dusty silence in both directions and then they were moving
through a wide arched opening into a cavern filled with people.

Jess
moderated her pace, turning her purposeful walk into a more casual
stroll, sticking her hands in her jacket pockets and letting her head
turn from side to side.

Dev
copied her, glad she had a chance to absorb what she was seeing.
Unlike the uniformity she was used to in both the creche and the
citadel, the people and the sights were far more random here. There
were people who looked like workers, but their overalls were patched
and so worn and covered in dirt it was impossible to tell what color
they were supposed to be.

Then
there were other people, in skin tight suits carrying boxes with
lights, and other people who were covered in strangely mottled
garments and heavy boots.

The
smell of the place was past her ability to self describe. It was a
mixture of strong scents and musky tones , overlaid with the more
familiar intensity of machine oil and salt she was becoming familiar
with in her new home. A few people glanced at them, but then moved
on, and she followed Jess along the perimter of the space towards a
set of long, shallow stairs.

They
passed a pair of men with scrubbers, removing a layer of oil from the
floor and Dev felt a jerk of recognition as she took in their visible
collars. Effens, her memory supplied, wearing roughly finished gray
coveralls with dark maroon sleevs.

They
dind't look up as she and Jess went past, their eyes firmly on their
task as they patiently scoured the floor. Normal, she thougtt,
having worked with a few of that set in the creche. They received a
lot of programming for cleaning – it's what they did in the
creche, in fact, specialists in maintenance.

Did
Jess think she would find that strange? Dev pondered the thought.

They
walked up the shallow stairs, moving into a more brightly lit space
that suddenly, as they emerged at the top, also became a lot louder.
Dev almost stopped walking as they turned a last corner, and she was
looking at the inside of a large, high roofed cavern filled with..

Well,
filled with everything. “Oh.”

Jess
turned and peered at her, slowing and closing the distance between
them. “This is the market.” She said. “Remember, we're just
techs on holiday, looking to shop.”

“Okay.”
Dev followed Jess's lead and unfastened her jacket, which had
started to become very warm. She left it hanging open with it's hood
pushed back, and followed her partner towards the ball of chaos ahead
of them. The rock walls echoed back the sounds of all the people
roaming from area to area, voices raised.

After
a minute, it sorted itself out and her programming kicked in, and she
knew what she was looking at much to her relief. This was a center
where people came to offer up things they did and products they made
for sale. There were dozens of rows of little rooms, made from what
looked like stones cemented together.

Each
room had some people inside it, and ledges on all four sides where
they had things displayed. Some room had lots of other people on the
outside looking at the things, some had few, but there seemed no
reason behind what was next to what, or why some were popular and
some weren't.

And
the people. Dev had never seen this many people in one place, not
in the creche, and not in the citadel, including at the party. There
seemed an endless sea of them all dressed in widely varied
combinations of clothing, strange things on their heads and a mixture
of things on their feet that completely escaped any of her
programming.

She
really couldn't process it all. So she stuck at Jess's side,
resisting the urge to latch onto her jacket as they started moving
into the market area and into the surge of human traffic. She
blinked her eyes a little, finding them watering slightly from the
pungent smells.

“Crazy,
huh?” Jess commented, as she sidestepped two men arguing loudly.

“Yes.”
Dev said, in a positive tone.

“Everyone
around brings their stuff here to sell.” Jeff confirmed Dev's
programming. “You can get some interesting tirnkets here, see?”
She detoured over to a stone house. She picked up one of the wares,
a bit of stone that had been hollowed out to leave a small dishlike
depression at the bottom. “You put scented oil in here, and light
it. Makes a nice smell.”

Dev
regarded it. Then she looked all around them, and back up at Jess,
one of her pale eyebrows lifting a little. “Do they make them any
larger?”

Jess
grinned, and turned, finding the merchant watching them with wary
politeness. “How much?” She indicated the trinket.

Jess
dug in her pocket, pulling out a handful of something and singling
out two bits of it to drop on the table. “Here.” She picked up a
second and handed it ot Dev. “Keepsake.”

The
merchant snapped up the glittering bits on the table and gave her a
look of much greater respect. “Citizens.” He inclined his head in
their direction. “Good market to you.”

Dev
regarded the item with some bemusement.

“We
can try it out later.” Jess winked at the merchant, then she
bumped Dev with her shoulder and led the way further into the melee.
“Most of the stuff is pretty useless.” She confided to Dev.
“These guys just hope to pick up a credit or two to add to their
allotment, maybe afford a bottle of grog once in a while.”

“What
did you give him?” Dev asked curiously.

“Ah.”
Jess dug in her pocket again, then held her hand up. “Turn your
hand over.”

Dev
did, only to find a scattering of brightly glinting bits landing in
her palm. She studied them, discovering squares of yellow metal with
numbers stamped on both sides.

“In
places like this.” Jess had drawn her over into a corner. “You
don't have scan cards. People dont' like to identify who they are or
what they're buying.”

“I
see.”

“So
this is hard credit. The biggest one's a full cred, then there's a
half, a third and a quarter. It's gold.” Jess added. “You know
what that is?”

“Yes.”
Dev looked at the squares in surprise. “I never expected to see it
in this form. We used it all the time on logic boards in the creche.”

“Well,
here you can trade it for stuff.” Jess closed her hand over the
credits. “Put em in your pocket. Spend em if you want.” She
paused, and her eyes flicked over Dev's shoulder. “But not right
now. C'mere.” She moved closer and put her arms around Dev, turning
her back on the crowd.

Dev
hastily put the handful of metal into her pocket and hesitantly
returned the contact, feeling the warmth of Jess's body as she
pressed against it. She had no idea at all what was going on, but
the sensation was very pleasant and she was halfway wishing they
could try that kissing thing again after a long moment of it.

It
took a very long moment for Dev to sort that out and figure out what
to do about it. She peeked past Jess's elbow, and saw three men
strolling by, glancing slowly around them. One was, she noted, tall
and scarred. “They're behind us.” She murmured back.

She
could feel Jess breathing against her, and decided it was very nice.
“Now they are past us, and going away.” She said, after a few
more moments. When Jess didn't answer, she looked up, to find Jess
looking back at her, with an expression that actually made her heart
skip.

It
skipped! Dev's eyes widened. What an incredibly odd sensation.

Then
Jess sighed and released her. “Okay.” She took a step back and
turned cautiously, watching the men's backs as they retreated. “I
dont' think they saw me.” She eased out into the stream of people
again. “Let's stay behind them, just in case.”

Dev's
whole body was tingling, and she really didn't much care about the
men. However, she followed along obediently. “Who were they?”

They
lost sight of the men in the crowd a little while later. With so
many people and so many distractions it wasn't that out of the
question, but Jess was still annoyed with herself that she let them
get away. “Damn it.”

Dev
waited quietly nearby, as her partner quartered around four of the
rooms there, letting her own eyes gently move from face to face as
the crowd moved past her.

“Hey
kid.”

It
did not occur to Dev that someone was addressing her, until she felt
a tug on her sleeve. She looked quickly to her right, to find a
stocky man with thick silver hair next to her. “Yes?” She
decided no response was probably more dangerous than following Jess's
strict order to not speak.

His
eyes were dark, and shrewd. “That coat ain't worth nothing. C'mere,
lemme show you what I got.” He pointed to his little room, which
had garments hanging everywhere around it.

Dev
scanned the surrounding crowd, finding Jess at the next little room
over, picking through some hats while she carefully watched the
passers by. Since her partner was so close, she decided it would be
all right to look at the garments, and therefore she followed the man
over and listened to his pitch.

She
knew what a pitch was. Her programming had given her enough
background on the cities to get by with, and Dev herself wasn't
nearly as naieve as she apparently appeared. There had been little
markets in the creche, in fact, when they'd gotten a chance to get a
few rare treats and she understood the concept even of bargaining.

This
did not seem really the place to engage in that though. Dev studied
the clothing, and reached up to touch a piece of it, a jacket made
from a smooth, tough substance.

“Ah,
like that one huh? Didn't figure you for shark though.” The man
came over and lifted it down. “Nice hide.”

Shark.
Dev glanced over at Jess, who was deep in discussion with the other
vendor. With a faint shrug, she took off her issue jacket and tried
on this other one, finding it surprisingly comfortable. Shark was a
fish, she recalled. It felt very strange to be wearing the skin of an
animal, but it felt a bit like heavy fabric and it didn't smell like
fish.

Dev
removed the jacket and donned her own. “How much cred is this?”
She asked, deducing this would distract him from asking her more
questions.

“Two
cred.” The man said. “Dont' bother trying to bargain with me,
kid. I can see how wet behind the ears you are.”

“All
right, I won't.” Dev handed him back the coat. “Excuse me.”

“Wait.”
The man looked very surprised. “Hold on, you don't want it?”

“Not
for that amount.” Dev started to move off, angling her steps to
end her up in the same room as Jess was. She could see the taller
woman was concluding whatever her business was, and Dev wanted to be
close by so they could move off to their next thing. Whatever that
was.

“Wait,
a cred and a half.” The man scurried after her. “C'mon, kid. You
know you want it.”

Dev
turned and faced him. “I have a one cred piece. If you would like
that in exchange, that would be good. If not, then I have to be
moving on.”

“Okay
okay.” The man got in front of her again, holding the jacket out.
“One cred.”

The
motion caught Jess's eye, and Dev saw her wheel around and start
towards them. “Okay.” She dug one of the bits of metal from her
pocket and inspected it, then took the jacket from him and handed it
over. “Thank you.”

“Highway
robber.” The man grumbled, looking at the bit. “Why I should...”

“You
should what, Roderick?” Jess had reached them and now she leaned
her elbow on Dev's shoulder. “Are you giving my friend a hard
time?”

Dev
watched his face in fascination as it turned dead white under his
beard and he backed away from them with some of the same look of fear
as Clint had. “Not at all, Jess.” She told her partner. “I was
just making a purchase from him.”

“No
harm, no foul.” The man held his hands up. “What brings you
here?” He asked, looking around quickly. “Havent' seen you in a
while.”

“Let's
go have a cup of kack and we can talk about it.” Jess moved
forward, forcing him to retreat. “I had you on my list of people
to chat with anyway.” She casually looked around. “Business
looks slow right now.'

Roderick
nodded briefly and turned, leading the way back into his room.
“Digger, keep a look on the store.” He told a younger man
standing there. “Me and the ladies have business.”

Digger
smirked. “Sure.” He folded his arms over his faded and patched
overalls and watched them go. “No problem.”

They
followed the merchant into the back of the small room, then down an
unexpected set of iron rail lined stairs that went down in a spiral
under the floor. The sound from the market dimmed and then cut off,
as they reached the bottom, and were inside a cramped, spare dwelling
with a low ceiling and rough stone floors.

It
was well used, and long lived in. There were shelves made from stones
and old boards, and two corridors led off towards the back that were
curtained off with carefully opened and cleaned sacks.

Roderick
led them into a square common space with a table and four chairs.
“Didn't know the kid was a friend of yours, Jess.” He pulled a
chair back and sat down, placing his elbows on the table and folding
his hands.

Jess
took the seat facing him. “She's my partner.” She said briefly.
“Give me the scoop. What's going on here. I saw Red Dog.” She
glanced at Dev, who took the seat next to her. “I dont' think he
saw me.”

He
nodded. “I was surprised to see you. I heard about Wellington.”

Jess
shrugged.

“There's
a price on you.” Roderick said, after a bit of silence. “Ten
thousand credits. Gold.” He cocked his head a little. “I sent
that news in to base. So I'm really really surprised to see you here.
I know you've got brass ones, but that ain't smart.”

Jess's
face didn't so much as twitch. “I've got a job to do.” She said.
“That what the Dog's doing here? Looking for me?”

“No.”
Roderick shook his head. “He and Jersey are looking for dirt on
some new project on our side.” He glanced around the space. “You
hear anything? Some big thing, your way?”

Jess
considered the question, giving a side glance at Dev before shaking
her head. “Nothing I know of. You?”

Dev's
face was a study in wry innocence. “I havent' heard of anything.”
She said. “But I've only been here a few days.”

“Ah,
new class. We heard they were in.” Roderick exhaled. “Well, I can
say you sure pissed off a lot of people, Jess. You get the body
count from that last run? Five hundred.” He eyed the agent.
“Credits or not, if they catch you they're gonna splat you.”

“Five
hundred for one?” Jess smiled thinly. “Guess the old man'll
consider it a bargain.”

Roderick
finally loosened up, chuckling a bit. “Maybe. But be careful. You
get caught napping his ego won't think of it that way. You know how
it is.” He shifted a bit, tapping his fingertips together.
“Anyway, most of what we're hearing is the usual. Seen a few more
of them sniffing round though.”

Jess
nodded. Then she turned her head and regarded Dev. “What'd he scalp
you for?”

Dev's
brow hiked just slightly, as she gazed back at her partner.

“The
jacket.” Jess pointed. “What'd it cost ya?”

“Oh.”
Dev cleared her throat. “A credit.”

“Told
you she chewed me down.” Roderick said. “She's a kid but not a
stupid one. That's one of my best pieces she picked out.” He
studied Dev “Where ya from? Waterside I'm guessing since you knew
right off the skin.”

“She's
a westcoaster.” Jess said. “Monteray headlands. So yeah, she
knows the water.” She tapped her fingers on the table. “I need
some ice boots, two pair. Who has em?”

Dev
folded her hands quietly, and just listened. She made a mental note
to check where Monteray was when she got back to the carrier, and
somewhat irrelvantly wondered if it was a nice place. She knew the
stark, scattered islands on the other side of the inland sea were
supposed to be striking.

She'd
seen pictures of a few of them.

“I'll
send Digger. Petros had about a dozen pair, not sure what's left.
He'll steal every last credit of yours if you try it though, he can
spot one of us easy as sneezing.” Roderick stood up. “Be right
back.”

Jess
waited for him to leave, then she gave Dev a little smile, and
pointed at the jacket, making a come hither gesture with her fingers.
Once her partner had complied, she studied the garment, her brows
lifting a little at the smooth, soft texture and the finely stitched
patterns on it. “Nice.” She handed it back. “Find me one
next?”

“Sure.”
Dev grinned. “I was actually looking for one for you as I was
concluding my deal.” She added. “I think I saw one on the other
side of the little house.”

“Sale
stall.” Jess said. “Rod's one of our outside agents.” She
added, in a very low tone. “He gets paid to just sit and sell and
watch.”

Dev
nodded. “I remember from the class.” She fell silent as Roderick
returned, dusting his hands off as he entered.

“Got
in with Maersk.” Roderick led them back to the stairs and started
up them. “Got us a better slot after Festival, be something moving
out of this place.”

“Nice.”
Jess glanced around her as she climbed up the steps. “Maersk, huh?
Maybe you'll end up riding one of their super c's. Bet the quarters
are nicer than these are.”

Roderick
chuckled dryly. “We all got our place.” He emerged into the store
and looked around in a studied, casual way before he moved away from
the top of the steps and let Jess come up after him. “So there ya
are. See? I made a right bargain.” He added loudly, a trucelent
note now back in his tone.

Jess
strolled through the store, examining the wares. “Yah, well, we'll
see.” She eased between the hanging garments, pausing between two
racks to study the crowd. She was aware, suddenly, of a presence at
her back, but after the first jolt she realized it was Dev, standing
quietly behind her.

Very
quietly. Jess looked over her shoulder, slightly amazed at the way
her new partner blending into her surroundings, standing just so
between the haphazardly hung clothing, only her pale eyes moving.

A
sudden commotion distracted both of them, and Jess swiveled to face
the sound, her hand dropping to her jacket pocket as her body
stiffened in reaction. Ahead of them, in the open lane between the
stall they were in and the one across, two men had grabbed a third, a
tall lanky figure with, she realized, a bio alt collar.

“I
told you not to touch me you freak!” One of the men yelled.

The
bio alt hunched his shoulders, and remained silent, holding his hands
up in surrender. “Sir, didn't mean to bump you.”

“You
did it on purpose!” The man shoved him against the wall. “Probably
going after my credits, huh freak?” He lifted a hand and balled it
into a fist. “Were you?”

The
bio alt cringed. “No sir.” He said. “I was just walking. I
tripped.”

“Freak.”
The man shoved him again, then walked off, shaking his head. “C'mon.
Stinks around here. Place is full of these freaks these days.”

The
merchant across the way came out of his stall. “Get out of here.”
He yelled at the bio alt. “People'll think you belong to me. Move
along!”

The
bio alt moved away from the wall and hurried away, keeping his head
down and by a jog in his stride, missing the kick aimed his way by
the irate man. As he passed them he furtively looked their way,
jerking his eyes back forward when they met Jess's.

Jess
waited a moment, then she turned. Dev was still standing behind her,
still with a mild, untroubled look on her face, still completely
silent. “It's like that here.”

Dev
tilted her head slightly. “Like what?”

“What
they did.” Jess said. “A lot of people who don't have bios don't
like them.”

“I
see.” Dev pondered the scene. She saw the man from across the
path come over and talk to Roderick, who half shrugged, and lifted
his hands in a resigned gesture. “They don't like them, why?”

Jess
exhaled. She was saved from an immediate answer by Roderick coming
over to them.

“Ladies,
you see anything else you want?” He asked, swinging around the
shelves and pausing with his hand on one of the racks. “Day's not
getting any younger and neither am I.”

“What
was that all about?” Jess asked, jerking her head towards the spot
where the altercation had taken place.

“What?”
Roderick frowned. “Oh.you mean those guys?” He shrugged. “Usual
crap. More of the hooty boys are getting the jelly bag brains and the
city's started to put them to work places. Got a lot of oldtimers
who don't like it.” He added. “But those guys? They're just a bad
fight looking for a place to happen. Wasn't the bio, it woulda been
Digger coming back with the boots.”

Jess
stole a glance at Dev, surprised to find that same mild look on her
face. “What do you think?” She found herself asking, her brain
momentarily forgetting where she was. She held her breath for a
second, wondering what her bio alt partner was going to say about
that.

Could
almost be anything. She hadn't really dialed in on Dev yet.

“What
do I think?” Dev repeated. “I think that one right there would
fit you.” She pointed at a long coat hanging behind Jess against
the wall. “And it matches your eyes.”

Roderick
chuckled low and deep in his throat He removed the jacket and took
the hanger out, tossing it over to Jess. “Your friend's got some
smarts, Jess. Didn't know they were sending them out of school with
that these days.”

Jess
accepted the diversion, shrugging off her jacket and slipping the new
one on. She twitched the shoulders straight and found the sleeves
long enough for her long arms. “Huh.” She fastened it, then
turned, raising her arms and holding her hands out. “Not bad.”

The
coat was actually quite attractive, Dev thought. It was far less
bulky than the one they were issued, and the cut of it was flattering
to Jess's tall figure. It was made of something like the same thing
the one she'd bought was, and she thought Jess was pleased with it.
“It's very nice.”

“All
right.” Jess exchanged coats again. “What are you going to get
out of me for it?” She asked Roderick. “You robber baron you.”

Roderick
chuckled and held a hand up, looking casually all around him before
he spoke “I'll bill the old man.” He said. “Digger'll drop the
rest of it over with Jonton. I assume you're going to go eat there?”

Jess
smiled.

“Robber
baron? You call me that?” Roderick bawled. “Take it! Get out of
here you wanton hussies!” He started forward, waving the hanger the
coat had been hanging on. “Get out! Get out! Before I call the
guard!”

“Watch
it old man!” Jess yelled back. “Take your threats and shove em!
Let's go, Dev.” She turned and walked out of the store, heading
sharp right and then taking a left as she cleared the next stall
over. She paused and got behind a column, leanng against it and
looking at the sleeve of the jacket with complete absorption.

Dev
stuck right with her, finding something in the booth to look at as
Jess watched what was going on them intently. It was all extremely
strange, and she wasn't comfortable at all with what was going on,
but she examined the little pouches on display in front of her and
kept herself relatively out of view.

“Okay.”
Jess finally said, turning and putting a hand on her shoulder. “Good
job, Dev.” She said, in a very low voice. “I know it's crazy
here, but you'er doing a great.”

Dev
smiled. “Thanks.” She whispered back. “It's very confusing.”

“I
know.” Jess now clapped her on the back. “Let's go get something
to eat. I bet you never tried hopping shrimp, now did you?”

Hopping
shrimp. Dev had to admit the experience was overwhelming her
programming. There were too many new experiences, and too much
uncertainty for her to comfortably handle. “No.” She answered.
“I know what a shrimp is. Why does it hop?”

“Ah.”
Jess put a companionable arm over Dev's shoulder, and guided her
along the path, towards another set of long, low steps. “Come with
me, my friend. I will introduce you to my favorite meal and show you
why they hop.”

“You
meet the shrimp before you eat it?”

Jess
chuckled. “I”ll have to take you shrimping sometime.” She said.
“Maybe limpet collecting too.”

Dev
eyed her.

“Maybe
we can find some cockle stew.”

“I
think I”m glad I brought that pack of crackers.” Dev commented
mournfully. “I wouldn't know what to do with a cockle.”

Jess's
sudden laughter drew stares, but they were moving up the steps before
anyone could get too close a look or stop them and then they were
gone, disappearing into the strident chaos of the wet market.

Behind
them, a squad of bio alt cleaners tentatively emerged, looking
cautiously around before they started sweeping half a day's debris
from the floor

**

It
turned out that hopping shrimp were a lot better than they initially
sounded. Dev regarded the plate in front of her, a deep blue glazed
platter covered in bright orange and pink animals curled in a half
circle that smelled really really good.

They
had cups of something sweet and fizzy in front of them, and the
shrimps, and a flat cake that was rather seaweed like but had a
drier, earthier taste.

“Now.”
Jess picked up a shrimp. “First you rip the head off.”

Dev
watched her with some bemusement. They were seated in a small alcove
at the back of the eating place, amongst a few small alcoves that
were tucked away out of sight, with a light gauze curtain around them
and artfully placed strong lights on the curtains that made it
impossible for anyone to see in, but for them to easily see out.

The
man in charge of it had known Jess by sight and had seemed to be
expecting her. He'd shuffled them quickly into their little hiding
place, and shortly thereafter, the plates had arrived.

“Then
you suck their heads out.”

Dev
jerked, coming rapidly back into focus. “You what?”

Jess
applied her lips to the back of the animal's head and inhaled, making
an odd whistly sucking sound. “You suck their heads out.” She
repeated. “Try it.”

Obediently,
Dev picked up a shrimp and twisted it's head off, turning it around
and inspecting the interior before she hesitantly put it to her lips
and sucked at it. A small mass of spicy goo hit her tongue, and she
mouthed it, analyzing the taste before she swallowed it. It was rich
and full of flavor and the spices filled her throat in a surprisingly
nice way. “Oh.”

“Oh
good, or oh gross?” Jess asked, in an apparent good mood.

“That's
excellent.” Dev responded. “I've never had anything like that
before.” She peered inside the head.

“I
knew I liked you for a reason.” Jess set the head down. “Okay,
now on this part, you pull the legs and the shell off, like this.”
She demonstrated. “And you eat this part inside.” She watched
Dev, with a complete focus and seriousness that tickled the hell out
of her, strip her first shrimp naked and bite into it, chewing it
with intense thoughtfulness. “Well?”

Dev
swallowed, and stared intently at her plate. “Can I eat this part
too?” She picked up the shell.

“No.”
Jess chuckled. “It's like chewing fingernails. Just eat the inside.
So you like it?”

“Yes.”
Dev said, positively. “Do we ever get this where we live?” She
regretfully set the shell down and picked up another animal, ripping
it's head off with more confidence.

“No.”
Jess sighed. “They aren't found around our shoreline, and they
wont' pay to have them brought in. The idea is we're self sufficient
at home.” She started in on the rest of her plate. “Damn shame.
But it's one of the nice things about going outside.”

Dev
got through another couple of shrimp before she started conversing
again. “You asked me before about the bio alts.”

Jess
glanced up quickly. “Didn't mean to.”

“What
were you expecting my reaction to be to that?” Dev asked. “Did
you expect me to be upset?”

Jess
chewed her shrimp, then took a sip of her drink. “I don't know what
I expected. Yeah, maybe.” She said. “Were you?”

Dev's
eyes met hers. “They teach us to expect that.” She said mildly.
“To expect natural borns to treat us poorly. To make fun of us, to
be mean to us, that sort of thing.” She sucked another shrimp head,
her eyes widening a bit at the odd sound it made. “We know what we
are, Jess.”

Jess
sat quietly a moment, watching her. “Do you?” She mused. “I
dont' think you're like that guy mopping the floor over there.” She
indicated a lone figure, in the distance.

“I”m
exactly like him.” Dev didn't sound at all upset about it. “Except
I'm a different gene set, and I have different programming.” She
watched her partner. “Why are you shaking your head?”

“You're
not like him.” Jess repeated. “I've been working with bios since
I got out of field school. I never met any one of them that was
anything like you at all.” She nibbled a bit of her flat cake. “Is
that why you were so surprised whe I was... um... nice.. .to you?”

“Yes
because you don't have to be.” Dev said. “We know that. We
just... take what we get, you know?”

Jess's
face went still and serious for a moment, then she grinned a little.
“Well, you got me.” She said. “And I don't buy that whole story
so you'll have to deal with that.” Her eyes dropped to the table
and she fiddled with a shrimp, then she looked back up to find Dev
looking at her with a gentle, sweet smile on her face.

It
made Jess blush. She felt uncharacteristically off balance and she
she could have sworn all of a sudden her tongue felt fuzzy.
“Anyway.” Her fingers pried the shrimp apart, and plucked the
legs off. Then she looked back up. “Is that why you freaked out
when you thought I was mad at you?”

Dev
stopped in the act of sucking a head out. She put the item back down.
“Yes. We never want to make our assignments mad. It means... they
teach us that it means we're not doing a good job.”

“That's
horsecrap.” Jess regained her equilibrium. “People sometimes just
get mad.” She said. “It doesn't mean anything like that, at
least not with me.” She took a swallow of her drink and glanced
past the curtain, studying the passing crowd outside before she
returned her attention to her table companion. “Okay?”

Dev
reached over and touched her hand. “I”m very glad I got you,
Jess.” She said, simply. “You're really special.”

Jess
was caught in those eyes again, in the crystal clear warmth of them
that made her feel shy and strangely unsure. She'd never really
felt like this before and it confused her, a little.

Excited
her, a little. Definitely it was distracting her more than a little
and she almost missed the subtle shift in the lighting and the sound
of approaching footsteps until it all penetrated her senses and she
shifted, jerking her head towards the curtain. “Police. Just keep
cool.”

Dev
went back to quietly ingesting her shrimp, producing a mild look of
inquiry when the curtain was jerked back, and revealed two men
standing there in black suits with shiny black chestplates and
helmets.

“ID.”
The one in front said, extending his hand.

Jess
produced hers and handed it over, and a moment later, Dev did the
same.

The
policeman flicked a scanner over both sets, and studied the results,
then handed them back. “What's your business here?”

“Lunch
and shopping.” Jess said, casually. She held up the neatly tied
bundle that she'd made of her jacket, and pointed at the plates.

The
man studied her, then studied Dev, who looked back at him with
interest.

“Ladies.”
The man gave them a half wave and moved away. “Enjoy your day.”

They
went on to the next little alcove, and the curtain swung closed
again, obscuring them. Jess waited for them to engage with their
neighbors, before she removed a small box from her pocket and keyed
it, directing it after the police and tapping a few entries.

Dev
heard a very high pitched, very soft whine, and she watched with
curiousity as Jess reviewed the results then put the box back into
her pocket. “Is that a usual interview?”

“What,
the cops?” Jess glanced after them, a faintly disapproving look on
her face. “Eh. Looking for non citizens to bust. They attract em
here, since the weather's such crap. They round them up and toss
them back out into the scrub or ship em off to the edge to let them
go forage there.”

Dev
looked a bit confused. She picked up one of her few remaining shrimp
and worked at it. “What is a non citizen?”

“Well.”
Jess seemed glad of the distraction. “You get tested, right? Kids
do, like I did. Either you get aptituded to a training school, or you
test for brains, or some skill, or you don't” She took a long
swallow of her drink. “Those that don't can't get citizen status.
They get tossed into the outlands, and have to fend for themselves.”

Dev
blinked. “That's very interesting.”

“If
you can do something, you get cit status. Or.. “ She lifted a
hand. “If your family is in service, like mine is, then everyone
gets automatic cit status, and a minimum level job somewhere.
Reward, I guess.” She ate her last shrimp, looking regretfully at
the plate. “But the non cits try to sneak in anywhere they can, and
beg or steal what they can to live off of. You get real tired of
scraping lichen to eat and catching water bugs after a while.”

Dev
tried to imagine that. It was hard for her to fathom, because in the
creche everyone had their purpose, after all, they were made to be
useful, weren't they? No one was left out, even if there was an
'out', there was always work, and a function for everyone and they
were taken care of, fed, and housed as the valuable resources they
knew themselves to be.

“I
was glad, when I tested in.” Jess commented. “I didn't want to
spend my life hauling nets, or supervising a power station at the
waterline.”

Dev
only just kept herself from reaching out to touch Jess's hand again.
“But you do something very difficult.”

“I
do... we do.” Jess smiled at her. “But on the flip side, we live
in nice digs, and have creds to spend, and eat well. It's worth it.”

Dev
looked at her identification, studying the picture, and the name, and
the pretty, embossed emblem with a number that marked her as a
citizen.

Interesting.

Except
she wasn't. She wasn't even a non citizen. Beneath the neck on the
rich blue jumpsuit she was wearing she had the same traced collar as
the man she could just barely see washing the floor and she knew a
moment of deep, disturbing confusion because she wasn't entirely sure
of how she should feel about it all.

She
was different. She was bio alt. She was hatched and raised in the
creche to serve her assignment.

And
yet. She looked up at Jess, who was busily pulling the legs off a
shrimp. As if sensing the attention, Jess glanced up and met her
eyes, tilting her head a little in question.

And
yet.

More
footsteps approached, and Jess grew wary, her body stiffening up and
her balance shifting even in her seat so it was over the balls of her
feet. “If I tell you to duck, you duck.” She reached out and
picked up her glass, casually looking to her right as the curtain
stirred and drew aside.

“Ah.”
She grunted. “It's you.” She relaxed perceptibly.

“It's
me, myself.” A short, dark haired and bearded man with a thickly
muscled body sidled up to the table. “A gift for you, princess.”
He put a bundle on the padded bench seat next to where Jess was
sitting. “And who is your very pretty friend?” He waggled his
bushy, thick eyebrows at Dev. “Much improvement over your last
one, yes?”

Jess
snorted slightly. “This is Dev.” She said. “Dev, this is
Jonton, more commonly known as the Pirate of Quebec.” She gave the
man a wry look. “Jonton's something of an old family friend, and
this is his place as you probably guessed by the fact his name's on
the sign outside.”

“Hello.”
Dev responded. “It's very nice to meet you.”

The
man smiled, showing a mouthful of teeth that were curiously decorated
with tiny engravements. “It is my pleasure, Miss Dev.” He bowed.
“Any friend of my old family friend here, is a friend of mine.”
He turned back to Jess. “A very great improvement over this last
one for sure.”

“Definitely”
Jess agreed. “Smarter, has a lot more common sense, a better bus
driver and much cuter on top of it.” She winked at Dev. “I got
damn lucky.”

“So
I hear.” Jonton leaned against the table. “Especially what I have
heard lately of your luck.” He lowered his voice, touching her arm.
“I am pleased to see you here in good health.”

Jess
grinned briefly. “Thanks.” She touched the package. “This the
boots? I'm glad they're done. I need to get clear of here. Too many
eyes around.”

“It
is. May you have good wearing of them.” He bowed again. “Till
next time, princess! And again, so nice to meet you, Miss Dev.” He
stepped back and then ducked out of the way, leaving the curtains to
slowly swing back closed again.

They
were both quiet for a moment. Then Dev gently cleared her throat.
“What exactly is a pirate?”

Jess
chuckled. “I'll tell you later, when we're back on the bus.”
She studied her plate to make sure she'd consumed everything on it.
“We need to get out of here before someone spots me and starts
trouble.” She looked up at Dev. “You done?”

“Well,
since you said not to eat the shells, I suppose I am.” Dev gazed
mournfully at her plate. “They were excellent. Thank you very much
for bringing me here.”

“It
was my pleasure, Dev.” Jess said, her voice taking on a gentle
tone. “I remember my first time in this place. My father brought me
here after I graduated basic school. I thought the city was the
coolest place on earth.” She tucked the jacket she'd gotten under
her arm, and picked up the boots.

“May
I take that?” Dev offered, pointing at the boots. “My jacket's
smaller.”

“Your
everything's smaller.” Jess handed the bundle over and they slid
out from behind the table, pausing to let Jess study the outside
space before she stepped through the curtain and held it for Dev. “To
the left there, and down that ramp.”

Dev
went as directed, and they slipped out of the wet market and started
downward. Jontons place had been on the edge of the market, which was
now becoming quiet as the merchants started packing up for the day.
The market area was high ceilinged, and the sounds echoed, to the
counterpoint of thunder rolling overhead.

Dev
could smell the dampness, and the salt and fish tinged smell in the
air as they edged past two men maneuvering a cart full of fish down
the ramp beside them. She stuck close to Jess's side as they passed
from the light of the cavern into the darkness of the tunnels, and
after a few minutes walk, Jess paused to fasten her jacket.

So
Dev did too. She put her bundles down and got herself sealed up, then
picked the packages back up as Jess moved on. Niether of them
spoke, and Dev could see the tension in her companions face as she
scanned and rescanned the area.

It
felt a little dangerous They walked to the base of the ramp and then
Jess turned right and angled over across traffic to a side corridor
that led to a set of stone steps. A group of bio alts came past
them, easing to one side of the steps to get out of their way.

Dev
recognized the set, but dimly, from much earlier memories when groups
of bio alts would be loaded on shuttles, all of them happy, waving as
they left to what they were sure would be good assignments.

They
didn't look very happy now. Dev met the eyes of one of them, and he
looked quickly away, hunching his shoulders. A Geebee, she
remembered, but this one and his mates had scars on their faces, and
threadbare coveralls – and one was missing fingers.

Dev
exhaled a little, as she followed Jess down the steps and along the
right hand side of a busy tunnel, now mostly workers were passing
them, citizens in gray and green jumpsuits and men driving small
electric cars. The two of them were mostly ignored, getting only
brief, dismissed looks as they made their way downward.

“Here.”
Jess pointed at a dark offshoot tunnel. She ducked inside and then
her hand light appeared to light the way, as they went down another
set of steps, these crooked and then under a crumbling arch, to
another set of steps – these heading up.

Abruptly
all the sound cut off, and as they climbed, Dev could hear a soft
roaring sound. “Is that the sea?”

“Yes.”
Jess was one step up from her, and she moved steadily upward. “And
some rain. I can smell it.”

Dev
sniffed, but there were so many smells around it was hard to tell
which one Jess was talking about. She could smell a metallic, not
quite pleasant tang coming from the rock they were walking over, and
a tinny, dry smell she didn't recognize.

Far
off, she caught a bit of what she thought was the ocean, that wash of
salt and brine she remembered from the little outside balcony Jess
had taken her to. The steps were getting narrower, and she shifted
the package to her right hand, letting her left one rest against the
wall.

The
surface was interesting. It felt rough and cold against her skin, and
a bit moist. It was irregular, and when she looked down, the steps
were too.

They
turned a corner and started up a more steep set of stairs, and now
Dev could feel fresh air coming in and blowing against her face. She
could hear the thunder, and was aware of a rich, wet smell. “Is
that the rain?”

“Yeah,
put your hood up.” Jess got hers fastened just as they reached a
landing and were faced with a small opening.

Dev
fastened the snaps on her hood and followed Jess out into a fierce
downpour that pelted hard against her body and nearly knocked her
backwards. She steadied herself against the rock face and blinked
hard as water filled her eyes. “Wow.”

Jess
turned and gripped her sleeve. “Careful. It's steep here.” She
slowly worked her way down the rough cut steps they'd climbed up
earlier, pressing herself hard against the cliff surface. It
occurred to her that staying in the city might have been a wiser
choice, but she'd started getting that itch between her shoulder
blades and the last thing she wanted was a firefight in the middle of
Quebec.

Probably
end up with all of them in jail, those that didn't end up dead.

The
storm suddenly cracked and thundered right over head, and with a
yelp, she ducked as a landslide of sharp stones came cascading down
on top of them. “C'mon!”

Dev
scampered down after her, feeling sliding under her boots and an
unsteadiness in her balance as the rock seemed to shiver under her.
She half slid the last part to the bottom, then she joined Jess in a
full out bolt for the carrier as a heavy rumble warned them of
trouble coming down.

Rocks
started to bounce past her, and she felt an impact on her back as
they got to the bottom of the slope and then ran across the boulder
strewn area in front of where they'd left the bus.

Jess
looked behind her, and her eyes went wide. “Oh crap! Dev! Move it!
Get to the bus!!! Move!!!”

Dev
didn't bother looking. She bolted past her companion and triggered
the hatch, ducking inside as Jess caught up to her and heading for
her seat as a sound started coming around them that was louder than
anything she'd heard in her life.

She
heard the hatch seal behind her and got her harness in place as she
was already reaching out to start up the engines and get the power
systems up, her hands moving in programming boosted speed and
precision she didn't have the luxury to think about.

“Better
boost! We're gonna get creamed!” Jess bellowed, thumping into her
own seat. “Or there isn't gonna be enough of this damn thing for
Clint to.. ugh!”

“Hold
on!” Dev didn't hesitate an instant. She kicked the landing jets in
full force as soon as they spooled and took the carrier straight up
for just long enough to clear the boulders before she cut in the
mains, boosting clear of the ground as she heard the bump and clang
of rocks hitting the outside of the hull.

No
time even to put her headset on. She got away from the cliff at full
speed for a minute, then she cut in the rear scan and the screens
came alive with the sight of the entire face of the cliff sliding
down and collapsing in a destructive rush that blasted over the tiny
plateau they'd been parked on minutes before.

“Holy
shit.” Jess stared at the screen.

Another
crack of thunder and a blast of lightning rocked the carrier. Dev
instinctively ducked and flinched as the forward screens whited out,
then she adjusted the tint and cut in comp “We're getting weather
warnings.” She said. “Too much interference.”

“Find
a place to put her down.” Jess directed. “No one'll be out
watching now anyway. Stupid god damned storms.” She pushed her
hood back and raked the wet hair out of her eyes, as the carrier
rocked back and forth between blasts of lightning.

Dev
set up comp and searched the map ahead of them, spotting an overhang
on the other side of the small valley they were currently coursing
through. The carrier flashed over bare rock and dark pools of rain,
the coated front window giving her a clear view of the sheets of
water slamming against the carrier with intimidating force.

“Get
her down.” Jess warned, as they both felt the engines hesitate.

Dev
did, aiming for the overhang and slamming the landing jets on just as
the mains cut out and they dropped hard. Lightning was striking all
around them, multiple bolts coming on either side as she got the
vehicle under the ledge and cut power just before a bolt hit them
full on, making the power blank out completely for a few long
seconds.

Then
the batts came on and they were safe, the landing feet leveling the
carrier as the storm came on in earnest. For a few minutes, the
rumble and thump almost deafened them, but after that it steadied
down to a dull roar and they both let out a breath of relief at the
same time.

Dev
turned her seat around, glancing down at herself, before she regarded
her partner. “I think it's possible I might have to cash that in if
I keep almost wrecking this transport.” She gave Jess a wry look.
“That was really intimidating.”

Jess
started unzipping her jacket. “It was.” She said. “But we made
it. Now we just have to wait out the storm and then head off to North
Station.” She stood up and hung her jacket on one of the hooks
near the drop pack. “And hope no one's stupid enough to try and
follow us in this.”

Dev
undid her restraints and stood, getting out of her jacket as well.
She hung it up next to Jess's and riffled her damp hair out. “So
now we just wait?”

“Now
we just wait.” Jess leaned against the drop suit, a faint smile
appearing on her lips. “Of course, this could be the moment I tell
you to take your clothes off.”

Dev
met her eyes, and smiled. “Because we can wear our uniforms in the
North place?”

“Well.”
Jess pushed off from the suit and started unfastening the wrist
catches on her jumpsuit “That too.”